UK speaking and listening SELT
PTE Home A1, A2 and B1
PTE Home is a centre-based speaking-and-listening Secure English Language Test for specified UK immigration and citizenship purposes. You book a level—A1, A2 or B1—and receive a pass or fail for that level. It is not an at-home version of PTE Academic.
Which PTE Home level do you need?
The following comparison describes the family, settlement and citizenship purposes most relevant to this guide. It does not replace the rule for your exact application.
PTE Home A1
Meets A1 speaking-and-listening evidence for a first partner or parent family-visa application when an approved test is the evidence route.
PTE Home A2
Meets A2 evidence for the relevant family-visa extension after 2.5 years, including the usual progression from earlier A1 evidence.
PTE Home B1
Meets B1 speaking-and-listening evidence where that is the required level. Settlement rules have a March 2027 date boundary; citizenship is a separate check.
Our UK family and settlement purpose guide helps separate these stages. Use the official route and level checklist before paying.
Settlement applications from 26 March 2027
The published Immigration Rules Appendix KoLL raises its test-based speaking-and-listening requirement from B1 to B2 for applications on or after 26 March 2027. Other settlement route rules also contain the change. PTE Home stops at B1, so it cannot prove B2. Check the exact route, date, exemptions and permitted previous evidence before booking. Do not automatically apply a settlement change to citizenship; read that application’s guidance separately.
Do you have to take A1, then A2, then B1?
No. GOV.UK family guidance permits a higher-level test for a first application. It also explains when an earlier result can be reused for an extension. For example, a person whose earlier accepted test was A1 generally needs at least A2 for the relevant 2.5-year extension, while earlier higher-level evidence has different reuse provisions.
For settlement and citizenship, GOV.UK also describes conditions for using a qualification after its normal expiry. Do not assume either “a two-year-old result is always unusable” or “a previous pass is always enough.” Check the evidence history, approved-test conditions and application rule.
Test format: short, spoken responses at a centre
You listen through a headset and record answers using a microphone. You may read on-screen instructions, but Home does not award separate reading and writing scores. Pearson’s level pages describe A1 as about 30 minutes, A2 as 25 minutes and B1 as 22 minutes; the handbook states the test lasts no longer than 30 minutes. These are test durations, not the full time needed for check-in.
A1: three task types
Repeat Sentence, Describe Image and Conversation: Listen and Answer. The current A1 page lists 22 sentence repetitions, five image descriptions and five conversation questions.
A2: use the level-specific instructions
The current A2 page lists 22 or 23 Repeat Sentence questions and four or five Describe Image questions. Its third heading is “Conversation: Listen and Answer,” but the description underneath asks you to retell a story. Because that source is inconsistent, use the linked A2 demonstrations and official course to confirm the response instruction rather than assuming it is identical to A1.
B1: four task types
Repeat Sentence, Describe Image, Retell Story and Story: Listen and Answer. Pearson lists 17 sentence repetitions and four or five image descriptions. In Retell Story, you reconstruct what happened; in Story: Listen and Answer, you respond to questions about it. They are different tasks.
PTE Home vs PTE Academic UKVI
Academic UKVI assesses all four language skills and gives numerical scores. Home assesses speaking and listening at the booked level and gives pass/fail. A Home B1 pass does not supply reading and writing evidence for a four-skills requirement.
If you are pursuing study or a Skilled Worker application, use the UK study and work guide to identify the evidence route. Choose the correct test because of the required skills and level, not because one appointment is shorter.
How to prepare for Home
Start with the official free Home preparation resources for your booked level. An Academic essay course or a four-skills mock is not a full substitute.
- Listen for meaning and sequence. With everyday audio, note who is involved, what happened and the important time or place. Check the details you missed before trying a new recording.
- Practise complete spoken messages. Describe a familiar image with clear statements about the people, action and setting. Review whether a listener could follow your meaning without seeing it.
- Separate repetition from retelling. Repeat a sentence accurately when asked; use your own words and preserve events when asked to retell. Do not answer every task with the same memorised speech.
- Rehearse the equipment flow. Listen to the instruction, wait for the recording cue and speak clearly at a natural pace. Use the official demonstrations for each task.
Original practice idea: describe a photo of a family preparing a meal, then explain three events from a short everyday story in order. This builds relevant communication skills; it is not a prediction of live questions or a promise of a pass.
Booking, ID and test day
Select the exact Home level in myPTE, then check an approved SELT location, current appointment and checkout price. Not every PTE centre offers every Home level. Use the India centre guide to begin the live search if testing in India.
Pearson’s Home FAQ says the test is available to people over 18. Review eligibility, the current SELT ID policy and any required accommodations before booking. For an Indian applicant testing in India, bring the original valid passport matching the booking details.
The booking and test-day guide explains confirmation and appointment checks. Read the Home handbook rather than assuming every Academic rule is interchangeable. Report equipment problems to the administrator when they occur; do not wait until after leaving the centre.
Pass/fail results and the SELT reference
Pearson emails you when the result is ready in myPTE. Its product pages describe typical results in about two days; the Home handbook gives an aim of five business days. Do not plan around a guaranteed 48-hour release.
Your report shows pass or fail and includes the SELT Unique Reference Number (URN) used for secure government verification. Provide the requested reference on your application. A downloaded PDF is useful for your records, but is not a substitute for electronic verification.
Pearson gives the result a normal two-year validity period. The government’s specific reuse provisions for previous English evidence are a separate question. If you need another attempt, wait for your existing result before booking and follow the current retake policy. Use the results guide for result-access and support steps.
Frequently asked questions
Does “Home” mean I can take it from my house?
No. PTE Home is taken at an approved secure test centre, on a computer. The product name does not mean remote delivery.
Can I convert a Home pass into an Academic score?
No. Home reports a pass or fail at the booked CEFR level. It does not produce an Academic 10–90 score or four separate skill scores.
Does a Home B1 pass complete a citizenship application?
No. It addresses the English-test evidence when applicable. Citizenship has other requirements, and the Life in the UK requirement is separate.
Official references
Checked 28 October 2026. Follow Pearson for the booked test and GOV.UK for evidence requirements.